I like the IBM Model M, because it woke up the neighbors when I was typing. I recently got the chance to type on a Model M again, and realized that nostalgia makes us judge things differently. Turns out, the Model M is way worse than my current keyboard (MX brown switches).

I think I have a Model M downstairs. Well, I either have a Model M or a clone from Unicomp. I'll check. I'm assuming that you're crazy about it somehow not being as good as you remember, but I am typing upstairs on a Das Keyboard at the moment, so there ya go.

MX browns are like blues (same tactile feedback and actuation force), except the high-pitched *click* sound is missing. When you type on browns, it's more like *tap* *tap* rather than the *click* *click* of blues (or the *clonk* *clonk* of the Model M.)

Das keyboard has sound samples of the various switches on their page (scroll down a bit):

I think the reason I didn't like the M again is because it requires a lot more force to depress the keys. The browns of the Quick Fire XT I'm using feel just perfect. (Which is marketed as a "gaming keyboard", but actually it's not.) And the *clonk* sound of the M sounded ugly now. Plus the curvature of the M feels weird; I like the keyboard to be totally flat and slightly raised.

I liked the M a lot back then, but now it looks like an awkward keyboard to use.

I got this surplus thing that was made for Xerox way back when they were a big company. It's a standard 101 but the F1 key is red and the F2 key is green. It has a bunch of nonstandard buttons that don't work ( print job, cancel job, ect.) probably have to hook it up to some old printer.

Anyway It was five bucks at a computer show (remember those?) It's my work keyboard and it has a really nice typing feel.

I used to love those IBM clicky keyboards, the ones with real springs in them, but I type so much and so fast these days that those just wear my fingers out.

I just mentioned this somewhere else but we ordered a bunch of Dell servers several years ago and they came with keyboards and mice which we didn't need, so I used one of those for years and really liked it. It was big enough that it didn't slide around and the keys had a little resistance but not too much. The new Dell keyboards we get now are so small that... there's no plastic around where the letters are. It doesn't feel like a keyboard, it's like a piece of plastic with keys mounted to it, if that makes sense. The new ones are so light that mine occasionally slides around my desk at work.

Last year I bought a new laptop and even though it's a PC I found one with those little chicklet keys like a Mac. I can type pretty quickly on this thing and my fingers never get tired on it. My one complaint is that after a year I still havent memorized all the "other" keys. The home/end/page up and down keys are in a weird configuration, as are the arrow keys. I realize some concessions have to be made for a laptop keyboard, but still.

RealNC wrote:MX browns are like blues (same tactile feedback and actuation force), except the high-pitched *click* sound is missing. When you type on browns, it's more like *tap* *tap* rather than the *click* *click* of blues (or the *clonk* *clonk* of the Model M.)

Das keyboard has sound samples of the various switches on their page (scroll down a bit):

AArdvark wrote: Mine has an additional row of flat buttons above the function keys that would have magical powers if hooked to the proper machine.

Multimedia keys. They generate a different key code, which I think is standard - because I've seen different manufacturer's keyboards evoke the same function when the appropriate key was pressed - and if the operating system supports it or a driver program is installed then the keys can invoke the mail program, raise or lower volume, advance to next or previous track, etc. Works on XP and Windows 7, not sure if it works on Linux or BSD running X Windows.

My favorite was a Dell Multimedia Keyboard because it had a big volume knob, so when it's two or three in the morning and I'm playing music, it's faster to spin the knob than to use the trackball to select the hidden icons, select volume control then click to reduce volume.

Sadly the keyboard fell off the desk and broke.

The lessons of history teach us - if they teach us anything - that no one learns the lessons of history. tdarcos@tdarcos.com

RealNC wrote:MX browns are like blues (same tactile feedback and actuation force), except the high-pitched *click* sound is missing. When you type on browns, it's more like *tap* *tap* rather than the *click* *click* of blues (or the *clonk* *clonk* of the Model M.)

Das keyboard has sound samples of the various switches on their page (scroll down a bit):

I ordered a Das Keyboard with the (quieter) Brown Cherry switches for my Mac at work. I originally had a Macally keyboard which, I will give it credit: it's quiet. But I don't like the construction and the feet both broke. Tweeting at Macally bore no fruit and I can't use a keyboard with no feet.

The feet on my Das Keyboard (for the PC, the one I am using right now) broke a couple years ago because I slammed my first on the keyboard playing text baseball. My bad! That's on me.

Wellll there's a 3D printing revolution, right? Right? RIGHT? I ordered this and they showed up today:

With the amount of conversation at work the last few weeks, I think that brown cherry ought to be fine. But thank you for that suggestion, it is good to know there is some option if they are a mite too loud.

I beg of you, before you go elsewhere: are 3D printers big in Greece? Anything you tell me will be 100% what I think about 3D Greek printing, by the way.